After a lot of debate, the Senate recently passed two highly important transportation bills.
One bill, already passed by the House of Representatives, is a short-term extension of current transportation law to prevent the Highway Trust Fund from running out of money. The other bill is a long-term reauthorization of the surface transportation funding bill (H.R. 22, or the DRIVE [Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy] Act) that would fund the nation’s surface transportation infrastructure for the next six years. So how do they affect trails?

Every year, the Transportation Alternatives Data Exchange at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (TrADE @ RTC) compiles a spending report that provides transparency and valuable comparisons for people interested in transportation policy. This report breaks down the funds apportioned by state, as well as the funds states spent on projects that qualify for reimbursement (obligations) through TAP. The 2014 report was recently released; here are a few highlights.

On June 24, 2015, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will consider a bill that would freeze funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)—the biggest source of funding for walking and biking—for the next six years at a level wholly inadequate to meet burgeoning demand. The bill also would make low-interest loans available for smaller active-transportation projects. Learn how you can help, now!

At the end of May, the president signed an extension of MAP-21, the nation’s surface transportation law to fund roads, bridges, public transportation, and walking and biking projects, just as the current law was set to expire. The extension runs until July 31, 2015, when the Highway Trust Fund is expected to be depleted. Here's a closer look at what this could mean for trails, and biking and walking infrastructure.

On May 5, 2015, voters in Michigan made their voices clear: Although many believe that the roads and other transportation infrastructure are a mess, the complicated Proposal 1, which would have increased both the fuel tax and sales tax to fund maintenance and improvements, while maintaining funding for schools and essential municipal services, was not the answer. So what's next?

The current federal surface transportation bill will expire on May 31, 2015, and now is the ideal time for supporters of trails, walking and biking to have your say! On Thursday of last week, RTC delivered a petition to Congress urging them to support federal funding in the next bill for trails, biking and walking, with nearly 21,000 signatures from supporters all across America.

If you live in Michigan, chances are you’ve heard about Proposition 1, a transportation funding proposal that will be on the ballot on May 5, 2015. You may also know the reason why the investment from this proposal is necessary. The state’s roads are not just bad but outright dangerous. So what does this proposal have to do with trails, and why should you vote yes for it? Here's why.

The Burke-Gilman Trail in Washington is used by more than 2,000 people each day. | Photo courtesy University of Washington

On March 30, 2015, the Obama Administration released the latest version of the GROW America Act, intended to fund surface transportation for the next six years. Here's how this act could affect trails and bike/ped projects across the country.

In September, RTC engaged leading Republican and Democratic pollsters to find out what likely 2016 voters for both parties really thought about the federal role in encouraging active transportation. The remarkable poll findings are an important tool for trail builders and supporters as they continue to fight back attacks against trail funding.

Over the past few days Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been working with the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking to respond to a number of troubling media reports about bicycling fatalities.

There are exciting things happening in my home state of New Jersey. This November, residents have an opportunity to vote on a ballot measure that will keep the Garden State green and preserve it for generations to come.

In early October, the Philadelphia region will celebrate the opening of the 0.75-mile-long Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk. This trail, which is built along the east side of the Schuylkill River, is the final in a set of trail segments funded by federal dollars in 2010 that sparked an incredible amount of interest, enthusiasm and prioritization of other trail projects around the region.